What Heroes Do
by RoseGoldRomantic
Summary: A Loki x reader that takes place during the events of Ragnarok. Follow-up fic to Tesseract and Lokasenna. You've been living in Asgard for four years, when the Tesseract gives you a new vision. Deciding to follow it, you discover that Loki was not truly dead. What will you do when Loki and Thor's long lost sister, Hela, threatens to destroy Asgard?
1. Chapter 1

As the light of the day grew, warming my home as the time passed, I paced back and forth in my room. What if this was just a dream? I risked Odin seeing me and sending me back to earth, or worse. I hadn't heard of Thor being around Asgard for ages, so why would that change now? On the other hand, if it wasn't a dream, and Loki really was alive… Why had he not come for me? Even just to let me know that he was alright? Was the single kiss that he had given me only been for show? To throw me and everyone else off their best? There were too many questions for me to answer myself. I had to go speak with Odin.

I got dressed, my asgardian garb the perfect mix of protective and flattering. Placing my shortsword in its sheath, I left my house, and made my way up to the palace. On my way there, the bustle of the shining city made me smile. I could smell the fresh bread as I passed the market, the laughter of children echoing in the alleys as I climbed more and more stairs.

Walking into the palace was easier than I expected, as the crowd that was there to see the play was large enough to hide in. I approached the amphitheatre area, my heart racing faster and faster in my chest with every step I took. I pressed my way through the crowd, trying to squeeze my way to the front of the group. After many a "I'm sorry." and "Excuse me, please." I finally found my way to the edge.

Odin stood speaking with Thor, the actors from the play standing still in the background. My heart sank. It was wonderful to see Thor once more, but it seemed as if my vision of Loki had been in error.

Suddenly, Thor tossed Mjolnir out far over to the mountains, speaking to Odin in hushed tones. Grabbing Odin by the neck, he resummoned his hammer back, Mjolnir speeding through the air to return to Thor's hand. Odin became increasingly nervous, fighting to get away from Thor's grip. As the hammer re-entered the theatre, a familiar voice shouted.

"All right, I YIELD!" the voice yelled urgently. Odin stepped away from Thor, covered in shimmering green light that melted away to reveal the voice's true owner.

Loki.

As Loki stood facing away from me, I froze completely. A million and one emotions and thoughts fought for control of me, and I barely noticed as Skurge stepped through the crowd announcing Thor's arrival. Loki turned and angrily spoke to Skurge, my ears filled with the sound of my rushing pulse as I watched Loki reprimand the Bifrost keeper. My hearing slowly started to come back, and I stared intently at Loki, still frozen.

"Where's Odin?" Thor pressed, regaining Loki's attention.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you? Everything was fine without you. Asgard was prospering." Loki sighed, facing Thor once more. "Ask them."

"Where's Father? Did you kill him?" Thor said angrily, stepping closer to Loki.

"You had what you wanted. You had the independence you asked for." Loki stammered, walking backwards, away from Thor's intimidating steps. Thor backed Loki onto a chaise, resting his hammer on Loki's chest.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow. Okay." Loki said, raising his hands in surrender. "I know exactly where he is. I'll take you there."

"You had better." Thor said, removing the hammer from Loki's chest, allowing him to stand.

"Just give me a moment to arrange some things," Loki said, turning to walk away from Thor, "and then we can-"

He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on mine. His face paled, and I could see his eyes flood with the same emotion I had seen back on Svartalfheim. His lip twitched up into a smile for a fraction of a second, soon replaced with the deadpan look of astonishment. We both stood there, staring for an eternity at each other's face. I took one step towards him, my legs moving of their own accord. Loki didn't hesitate to close the distance between us. He stepped forwards quickly, his arms wrapped tightly around me, lifting me slightly off of the ground. I could feel the urgency in his embrace, the apology, the welcome, the feeling of home. Slowly, Loki put my feet back on the ground, but his hold never loosened. His fingers gripped the edge of my shoulders, and he pressed his face to the crook of my neck. I returned the embrace, all of my anger gone in that moment. I clutched at him, my fingers tightly gripping at his clothes as I pressed my face firmly into his chest. I felt all the weight and tension from the years apart begin to fade away the longer I stayed in Loki's arms.

"Gods, I have missed you." Loki whispered to me after a moment, his voice broken and soft. I could feel it rumble in his chest, and I felt tears sting my eyes at hearing his voice once more.

"And I you, Loki." I replied, a single grateful tear rolling down my cheek as I squeezed just a little tighter.

Backing away from his embrace for a moment to look into his eyes, I was briefly reminded of the last time I had seen them, back on Svartalfheim. That was more than enough to snap back my anger at his trickery, and I slapped him as hard as I could across the face.

"How could you?" I demanded, anger and sadness mixing in my broken voice. "How could you not tell me, tell anyone that you were alive? I spent YEARS thinking you dead."

"I suppose I deserve that." Loki grumbled, rubbing his jaw.

"Nice to see that you haven't lost any of your fire, (Y/N)." Thor said, smiling as he approached Loki and I.

"I can explain." Loki pleaded, "If you'll allow me to."

"It had better be _the best_ explanation anyone's ever heard." I said, still upset. "You can explain on the way to get your father."

Loki nodded, speaking with someone quickly before magically changing his clothes and following Thor and I towards the bifrost.

"I'm sorry, (Y/N), I am truly sorry." Loki said as we walked, his voice lowered. "If I had any idea that you were here, I would have made myself known to you. All the same, I remained hidden from everyone so that Thanos might not find me. If anyone knew that it was me on the throne in Odin's stead, Thanos would have found out, and come to destroy both myself and Asgard."

"As far as excuses go," I sighed, accepting his reasoning. "That's not horrible. How did you even get back here?"

"You don't know?" he said, obviously surprised by my statement. "How could you not know? You did. You transported me here with the energy of the Tesseract."

"That's what happened?" I asked, "I passed out before you disappeared from Svartalfheim, I thought I might have accidentally sent you to Thanos in my despair."

"Well you didn't." Loki said. His eyes looked up and down my frame, longing painted across his face. He bit his lip for a moment, continuing. "I arrived safely here. I was able to get help, and eventually convinced Odin to take a vacation while I took over."

"How did you do that, brother?" Thor questioned, suspicion lacing his tone. "Or was it another one of your tricks?"

"I swear he didn't put up a fight." Loki insisted, and I punched his arm as we walked onto the Bifrost.

"Let us hope that father also shares your view of this." Thor sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

We arrived in New York, Loki magically swapping our Asgardian clothing for Earth attire. We landed in a quiet portion of Central Park, no one in eyesight to notice our arrival. It gave me time enough to take in the clothing that had been chosen for all of us. Thor wore casual clothes, a hoodie with jeans, a casual shirt. I had been given a beautiful emerald green summer dress, delicate golden embroidery shimmering as the skirt moved with the breeze. For himself, Loki had chosen an entirely black suit, it's edges crisp and clean. While I didn't know exactly how I felt about it being entirely black, it definitely fit him well and was extremely attractive on him.

"This way." Loki said, beginning to walk towards the closest edge of the park. Thor came to keep pace slightly ahead of Loki, his hammer now disguised as an ordinary umbrella. Loki reached out for my hand, grabbing hold of it and giving it a gentle squeeze as we walked through the bustling city.

After a couple blocks of walking, Loki slowed down. I looked up to his face, only to be surprised at his confused expression. Ahead of us stood a demolished building, heavy equipment picking up large pieces of what used to be a brick structure. A large sign was still in one piece, it's bronze lettering reading "Shady Acres Care Home."

"I swear I left him right there." Loki said, wincing slightly.

"Right here on the sidewalk, or right there where the building is being demolished?" Thor quipped, agitated. "Great planning."

"How was I supposed to know?" Loki said, letting go of my hand to express his frustration. "Can't see into the future. I'm not a witch."

"No?" Thor teased, "Then why do you dress like one?"

"Hey!" Loki said, doubtless about to return the insult until Thor cut him off.

"I can't believe that you're alive. I saw you die." Thor said, "We both did! We mourned you, I cried for you."

"And I'm honored." Loki responded.

Before any more could be said, two ladies who looked to be around my age came up to Thor, giggling and whispering to themselves.

"Ask him!" One said, pushing her companion closer to Thor."

"Hi," she began, "Would you mind taking a picture with us?"

"Oh, sure!" Thor responded, posing with them for the photograph as Loki rolled his eyes, and I snickered. "Start figuring out where he is." Thor added, smiling for the girls' camera.

"Oh, my god!" the second girl said, giggling with excitement.

"Sorry to hear that Jane dumped you." the first said, frowning before leaving with her friend.

I raised an eyebrow to Thor, and he stammered a response.

"She didn't dump me, you know. I dumped her." he said, words tumbling out of his mouth as Loki patted his back. "It was a mutual dumping."

"Sounds like something that someone who got dumped would say." I whispered, and I could see Loki's lips curl up slightly.

"How are we going to find Odin now tha-" I said, startled to silence by an orange sparking circle that had appeared around Loki's feet.

"What is this?" Thor questioned, "What are you doing?"

"This isn't me." Loki said, looking up to me with confusion and a small amount of fear. The ring turned into a hole, opening just long enough to swallow him up before disappearing, leaving only a small piece of paper.

"Loki?" I asked, looking around for any sign of him.

"Loki." Thor said, poking the paper with the hammer umbrella, hoping to procure him. When nothing happened, he picked up the paper.

The paper was the size of a business card, and on it was delicately inscribed an address.

177A Bleeker street.

"I guess the best place to start would be there." Thor said, "Where is it?"

"I haven't been here in a few years." I groaned. "It's probably best we ask someone else so we don't go walking in circles."

After asking a few people who were either too busy to answer us, or not much help at all, someone finally gave us directions to the building that we needed. Once we had arrived, Thor knocked on the large wooden door. On his third knock, or at least, what should have been, we were instantly transported inside. We were surrounded by many different artifacts, some protected by large glass cases. In front of us was a large stairwell leading down, and a large circular window.

I looked into what appeared to be an empty case, only to be drawn back to the window by a voice.

"Thor Odinson." A figure had appeared in front of the window, wearing a red cape and yellow gloves. The figure floated down to us, the man coming to land right in front of Thor, who had since raised the umbrella defensively. "God of Thunder. (Y/N), keeper of Tesseract power." he turned to Thor, "You can put down the umbrella."

Thor slowly lowered the umbrella, placing it in the umbrella rack that had appeared next to him. As the umbrella slid into its place, we were again instantly transported to another part of the room. The man leaned up against a mosaic wall, and Thor began to fiddle with something that was sitting atop one of the cases.

"So, Earth has wizards now?" Thor mused, accidentally knocking the rest of the item on the case.

"The preferred term is, "Master of the Mystic Arts." " The man said, wincing as Thor struggled to reassemble what he had knocked over. "You can leave that now."

"Alright, wizard." Thor said, stopping as he had been asked, "Who are you? Why should I care?"

"My name is Doctor Stephen Strange, and I have some questions for you." Strange said, "Take a seat."


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the words had been spoken, we were all taken to another room, and sat on chairs facing the Doctor. Thor looked behind, confused, as I blinked heavily to reset my bearings.

"Tea?" Strange asked, mugs appearing in our hands.

"I don't drink tea." Thor said, inspecting his mug.

"What do you drink?" Strange countered.

"Not tea." Thor repeated, a small smirk on his face.

Thor's mug turned into a large glass beer stein, and Thor's eyes narrowed in surprised approval.

"So, I keep a watchlist of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world." Strange said, trying to maintain eye contact with Thor as Thor quickly drank all of the beer in his cup. "Your adopted brother, Loki, is one of those beings, as is his companion, (Y/N)."

"He's a worthy inclusion." Thor said, his eyes narrowing at his glass as it refilled itself.

"Then why bring him here?" Strange pressed, leaning forward.

"We're looking for my father." Thor answered.

"So, if I were to tell you where Odin was, all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?" Strange purposed, raising an eyebrow.

"Promptly." Thor assured.

"Great!" Strange exclaimed, "Then I'll help you."

"If you knew where he was, why didn't you call me?" Thor asked.

"I have to tell you, he was adamant that he not be disturbed." Strange answered, "Your father said he had chosen to remain in exile."

Thor hummed in acknowledgement.

"And, you don't have a phone." Strange added.

"No, I don't have a… a phone, but you could have sent an electronic letter." Thor insisted. "It's called an email."

"Yea, do you have a computer?" Strange countered.

"No, what for?" Thor answered, confused. Strange raised his eyebrows, glancing down.

"Anyway, my father is no longer in exile." Thor added. "So, if you could tell me where he is, I can take him home."

"Gladly, he's in Norway." Strange said with a smile, standing up from his seat.

As he stood, we all instantly were moved to stand next to a bookshelf, Thor spilling a bit of his drink on the floor with the sudden movement. Strange pulled a volume from the shelf, leafing through its pages.

"I'm just seeing whether this incantation requires any Asgardian modifications." Strange clarified, Thor steadying himself on the bookshelf. "Nope." Strange finished, closing the book.

As the book snapped shut, we moved across the room to a table, the bookshelf coming with Thor.

"Oh, we don't need that." Strange said, sending the bookshelf back, Thor still gripping it's shelf. Strange returned to his table, mixing things together as Thor set his beer down across the room.

"Will you stop doing that?" Thor said, walking over to where Strange and I stood.

"Can I.. I need a.. Just one strand of your hair." Strange asked, looking at Thor.

"Let me explain something." Thor said sternly. "My hair is not to be meddled with-"

Mid-sentence, Strange transported to behind Thor, deftly plucking a strand of hair out of Thor's head. As Strange began using the hair to weave some kind of spell in the air, we all moved to the entrance of the building, a large staircase behind us. Thor tumbled down some of the stairs, groaning as he dusted himself off.

"We could have just walked." Thor moaned, dusting off his jacket.

Strange opened a portal, a vertical disk of orange sparks giving a window to a grassy plain.

"He's waiting for you." Strange said, stepping back slightly.

"Alright." Thor nodded.

"Don't forget your umbrella." Strange said.

"Oh, yes." Thor said, reaching out for his hammer. In the background, I heard glass begin to shatter, and I winced with every case that must have been breaking as the umbrella passed by. "Sorry," Thor said sheepishly, standing with his arm out until the umbrella flew into his grasp. "There we go. I suppose I'll need my brother back."

"On, yeah." Strange said, opening another portal above us, "Right."

Loki came hurtling out of the portal, yelling as his arms and legs flailing about on his short trip to the ground. Loki laid on the ground for a moment, lifting his head.

"I have been falling, for thirty minutes!" he yelled at Strange.

"You can handle him from here." Strange said as I helped Loki up.

"Yes, of course." Thor said, taking Strange's hand. "Thank you very much for your help."

"Good luck." Strange responded.

"Who are you?" Loki demanded angrily, knives appearing in his hands as he turned to Strange.

"Loki." Thor warned as I held Loki's arm.

"You think you're some kind of sorcerer?" Loki growled, "Don't you think for one minute, you second-rate-"

"Alright, bye-bye." Strange said, throwing the portal towards us as Loki pulled against my grasp.

The shift to the new location was enough to cause me to lose my grip on Loki's arm, and he fell forwards onto his face in the grass. I leaned down to help him up, Thor and Loki both gazing behind me. I turned to se Odin, his back to us as he faced the sea. We slowly walked up to Odin, Loki with the gentle coaxing of my hand in his.

We stood on opposite sides of the Asgardian king, Thor to his left and Loki and I to his right. Odin continued to stare out into the sea, the sea breeze softly blowing in our faces.

"Father?" Thor said quietly.

"Look at this place." Odin said, "It's beautiful."

"Father, it's us." Thor stressed, fearful for his father.

"My sons." Odin said, Loki's face softening, "I've been waiting for you."

"I know." Thor said, "We've come to take you home."

"Home, yes." Odin said pleasantly, "Your mother. She calls me. Do you hear it?"

"Loki, lift your magic." Thor demanded. Loki shook his head, mirroring Thor's confused and fearful face.

"Took me quite a while to break free from your spell." Odin chuckled to Loki, then adding in a serious tone, "Frigga would have been proud. Come and sit with me. I don't have much time."

"I know we failed you." Thor said as we followed Odin to sit on a rock. "But we can make this right."

"No, I failed you." Odin sighed. "It is upon us. Ragnarok."

"No, I've stopped Ragnarok." Thor corrected, "I put an end to Surtur."

"No. It has already begun. She's coming. My life was all that held her back, but my time has come." Odin said, Thor and Loki sharing a confused glance before Odin continued. "I cannot keep her away any longer."

"Father, who are you talking about?" Thor asked.

"Goddess of Death. Hela. My firstborn." Odin sighed, "Your sister."

"Your what?" Thor asked, disbelief lacing his voice.

"Her violent appetites grew beyond my control. I couldn't stop her, so I imprisoned her. Locked her away." Odin replied. "She draws her strength from Asgard, and once she gets there, her powers will be limitless."

"Whatever she is, we… we can stop her together." Thor insisted to Odin, "We can face her together."

"No, we won't. I'm on a different path now. This you must face alone. I love you, my sons." Odin said, Loki looking up from the ground to look at Odin. "Look at that." Odin gestured to the sea. "Remember this place. Home."

As we all gazed out to the sea, Odin dissolved into a cluster of golden light, traveling out over the ocean and up into the cloudy sky.

I watched as a wave of sorrow swept over both of the men's faces. I took Loki's hand, and I could see him fighting back the emotion as he squeezed my hand. The very clouds seemed to sense the sadness in the air, drawing close to darken the sky. Thor began to shiver, and Loki spoke quietly but firmly to his brother.

"Brother." Loki warned, Thor beginning to tremble as small arcs of electricity spread on his fingers.

"This, was your doing." Thor said as he turned to face Loki, his quiet anger more than enough to intimidate me.

Loki gently guided me to stand behind him, his stance defensive. "Listen, I-"

The Asgardians were both distracted by a black swirling mass that had appeared above the grass behind us, slowly growing. We walked towards the swirling void, Thor throwing the umbrella into the ground, turning it back into a hammer with a massive flash of lightning. Loki melted our earth clothing away, returning us to our Asgardian garb once more. A green, bubbling light appeared in the center of the black mass, and Thor and Loki both stood still, their stances defensive. I followed suit, drawing my shortsword slowly.

A feminine figure appeared in the green mass, walking out of it and into the grass. Her hair was long and dark, her clothing torn from doubtless centuries of living in whatever captivity Odin had conjured. Her eyes had dark smudges of liner around them, causing her eyes to stand out menacingly.

"So he's gone." She said, the void disappearing behind her. "That's a shame. I would've liked to have seen that."

"You must be Hela. I'm Thor, son of Odin."

"Really?" Hela said, "You don't look like him."

"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement." Loki said, stepping forwards and in front of me slightly.

"You sound like him." Hela retorted with a smirk. "Kneel." She commanded, staring both of the Asgardians in the face.

"Beg your pardon?" Loki asked in disbelief.

"Kneel." She repeated, conjuring a sword to her hand. "Before your queen."

"I don't think so." Thor said, throwing his hammer straight into Hela's face.

But the hammer never met its mark. Hela stood smiling, holding Mjolnir at arm's length, her strength enough to freeze the hammer in its place, preventing Thor from even summoning it back.

"It's not possible." Thor grunted, still reaching out.

"Darling, you have no idea what's possible." Hela said, the hammer becoming engulfed in blue light.

Thor, Loki and I all braced as the hammer exploded in Hela's hand, it's fragments falling to the ground with fizzles of electricity. I returned my sword to its sheath, speechless. Loki's face paled, grabbing my hand. Hela brushed her hair back, her head now covered in a helm of horns. She began walking forwards, two swords appearing in her hands as she stalked towards us.

"Bring us back!" Loki shouted urgently at the sky, wrapping an arm tightly around me.

"No!" Thor shouted as the Bifrost shot down, drawing us up into the sky.

Loki held me tightly as we shot through space, a rainbow of colors surrounding us.

"Loki!" Thor warned, Loki and I looking down just in time to see Hela grab my ankle, yanking me from Loki's grasp.

"No!" Loki shouted, readying a knife. I screamed, reaching out out for him as Hela threw me from the Bifrost, and I lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke laying down amidst a large pile of garbage, several pieces poking me uncomfortably. I slowly sat up, groaning in pain and rubbing my eyes to adjust them to the light. I was surrounded by mountains of trash as far as the eye could see, everything from alien pieces of machinery to a city of Phoenix sewer plate strewn about in disorganized chaos.

I looked up, seeing many portals very much like the ones during the convergence, trash and debris falling from them to the planet's surface. A large body of water was at the trash's edge, spreading into the distance right underneath a massive red portal. I stood up, crying out a small bit at my bruised backsides protest. I heard voices approaching, and scrambled to hide by a refrigerator that was propped up against the remains of a ship.

A large group of masked figures approached, mumbling to themselves.

"I could have sworn I heard something over here." one of them said, poking around where I had once been laying.

"Wouldn't be the first time you thought that!" one of its companions laughed, shoving him.

"You all are completely worthless!" a female voice shouted.

The group turned around to see a woman walking forwards, white paint decorating her eyes.

"What's the good in paying you if you never find anything?" She finished.

"But I swear I heard a cry!" the first masked being said, pointing at the ground. "I heard it come from right here!"

The woman scanned the area surrounding us, her dark hair beginning to wave in the slight breeze. Her eyes stopped dead on where I was hiding, and for a horrible moment I thought that I had been seen.

"If it happens again," The woman said, still staring right at me before turning to the group, "If you alert me for no reason, you're all fired, and the Grandmaster will never buy from you again."

Whoever the Grandmaster was, they were enough to scare the group of masked men away, muttering about finding a better catch. As soon as the last one had left my sight, the woman turned to look at me again. She stepped forward quickly, drawing out a knife that was holstered on her leg.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" She demanded, drawing me out of my hiding place.

"I'm (Y/N) Coulson," I stammered, trying to find the pommel of my shortsword without alerting the stranger. "And.. and I'm here because I was thrown from the Bifrost by the Goddess of Death."

The woman's stern expression faltered, and she lowered the knife slightly. "Hela?"

"Yes."

"Come with me." she said, putting her knife back in its sheath. "You will have to tell me more about it."

I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. For now it seemed that I was safe, though I didn't count on staying that way for long. The woman lead me to a small ship, and I sat on the floor of it as she strapped into the pilot's seat.

"The name's Val." she said as we took off. "You're Asgardian, I'm assuming?" she said, gesturing to my clothes.

"Actually, no." I said, looking down. "I'm from earth, I've lived on Asgard for about four years though. I'm friends with Thor and… close with his brother." I added, sadness threatening to bubble up at the mention of Loki.

"You've got friends in high places." Val retorted, her eyes focused on directing the ship.

"I guess I do." I replied. When Val didn't press further, I took it as permission to sit back and wait for further instruction. I leaned against a wall, wondering what had happened to Loki, Thor, and Asgard since Hela's release. How long had I been on this planet? Did they know where I was? Would I ever be able to return?

I was taken from my thoughts by Val calling for me.

"Welcome to Sakaar, (Y/N)"

We flew over one last hill of garbage, to reveal a city that seemed to be built of spare parts. Ships flew everywhere, weaving between buildings and making their way to and from the edge of the city. We made our way to the largest one, faces displayed on it's outside, the sheet metal shining in the sunlight.

"Scrapper 142, I need clearance." Val said into her comm. "And an audience with Boss Man."

A garbled reply came from her console, and we continued to fly into the building, landing in the first empty shuttle bay. Rising from her seat, she gestured for me to follow with her. I stood, doing my best to hide my sword in my skirts as I followed Val out of her ship.

Walking down long hallways, I peered around, trying to see if there was any chance for me to escape. My eyes were met with nothing but walls, and armed guards standing every hundred feet or so. We were stopped by guards at the end of the hallway, asking for verification.

"Scrapper 142, here to see the boss." Val replied, showing the guard a mark on her arm. The guard nodded, stepping out of the way as the door behind him opened.

Following Val into the room, I was greeted with bright sunlight pouring in from several wall-length windows. Val walked up to a man, his silver hair and colorful clothing fitting in perfectly with the aesthetic of Sakaar that I had been shown so far.

"Ah, Scrapper 142!" The man said, "Always nice to see you. I see you've brought me another! Oh, is this one a woman? Haven't had one of those in a while!"

"Hello, Grandmaster." Val responded, nodding to him and a woman that I could only assume was the Grandmaster's bodyguard. "Nice to see you too. Actually, I've come to speak with you about her. I know our deal is usually that I sell all I gather exclusively to you, but I want to arrange a breach of contract for this single fighter."

"What do you mean?" The Grandmaster said, "This is the first woman that's been brought in ages, the crowds will love her! She has to fight!"

"With all due respect sir, this woman is from Asgard." Val said, "Your fighters wouldn't stand a chance. I want to keep her. I would never use her against you, of course. The very next fighter I find will be yours, absolutely free."

I sincerely hoped that she was bluffing. I had trained for self-defence more than anything, and the idea of having to fight someone who was trained and practiced in fighting was more than a little intimidating.

"Asgardian, hey?" The Grandmaster chuckled. "You would know more about that than me. I'll tell you what. She only has to fight once. Against my new guy. I want to know what he's made of! After that fight, if she survives, you can keep her for whatever purpose you want her to serve."

"That will work splendidly, Grandmaster." Val said, nodding to the man. "When will this fight take place?"

"In a week's time." the Grandmaster replied, "I want to give this new guy time to acclimate to things here. And you, little miss fortunate," he said, looking to me, "You will need to prepare to be defeated!"

Val nodded, beginning to lead me out.

"Better watch and make sure you're not going soft." The Grandmaster called out as we left, "You may have brought me my beloved champion, but you've yet to surpass him! First you miss bringing me my new guy, and now you want to keep this one? It's not like you at all!"

We left quickly, Val muttering under her breath as she directed me back towards the ship.

"Thank you." I said quietly as we entered her ship once more.

"Don't mention it." she said, sighing.

"Why did you protect me, though?" I asked, "If that's your income, why bother saving me? Especially if he seemed so interested in me?"

Val stared out ahead in silence, and I began to think that she wouldn't answer.

"You remind me of someone." She said softly, "Someone that I used to know, and care about very much." she paused, sighing before adding, "I need a drink. And you need to train and prepare. Because this fighter the Grandmaster is talking about is new, I've got no idea what he's capable of. Do you have anything that you can do that might be useful in keeping you alive?"

"I know a small amount of magic." I said, "I never practiced it much, though. I can remain invisible for a time, but the longer I do it the more exhausted I become."

Val popped the cap off of a bottle of alcohol, "Well, we've got a week to strengthen that as much as we can." she said, taking a swig. "Let's start."


	5. Chapter 5

The next week was a non-stop schedule of training my sword skill, practicing my ability to become invisible under duress, and strengthening my endurance. As soon as I thought I had one skill perfected, Val would come along and hit me with something new, and it felt like I hd to start all over again.

The day before my fight was to take place, Val let me rest. "You'll need all the energy you can have for tomorrow." She said, popping the top from what must have been her thousandth drink.

"What are you trying to forget?" I asked quietly, "What happened to you to make you want to stay in this place?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She muttered back, "And if you want to live to see tomorrow, you'll stop talking about it too."

"Sorry I asked." I said, trying to see more of the tattoo that was on her forearm. Her bracer covered most of it, the vaguely geometric pattern hidden by the leather.

"What about you?" She asked, gesturing to me with a fresh bottle. "What caused you to get so lost that you ended up here?"

"A long story." I said, "I met a couple Asgardians when they came to earth, Thor and Loki. There was a long, complicated problem on earth, and I ended up following them back to Asgard. We eventually stopped a Dark Elf from destroying the universe, I lived in Asgard afterwards. Thor returned, looking for Odin. We went back to earth, Hela was released, and when we were trying to get back to Asgard via the Bifrost, she ripped me out of my… companion's arms and threw me away."

"You even know the princes." Val scoffed, offering me a bottle. "Sounds like you've had an eventful week."

I refused, "I just hope that Thor and Loki are alright." I said, running a hand through my hair. "Without them there to protect it, Asgard must have already fallen to her grasp."

"Time will tell." Val said, "If she has won, she will doubtless find her way here eventually."

I spent the day in Val's home, wary of how many shelves full of liquor she had. She never seemed inebriated, but I rarely saw her without a bottle in her hands. I wished that I had remembered more of what I had read during my time in Asgard, as Val's arm tattoo seemed vaguely familiar. I would be able to discern more if I had studied more earnestly.

My rest that night was fitful, my nerves and anxiety getting the best of me. The following morning, Val helped me to tie up my hair securely before we went to the arena. She had tied it up similarly to her own, keeping it away from my face and off my neck as much as possible.

We made a silent trip to the arena, my stomach too upset to eat any food. I sat quietly, playing with my hands, wishing Loki was there with me. He would doubtless have something witty to say, something kind to settle my nerves. A part of me longed to go back in time, to kiss him once more, to memorize the feeling of his arms around mine. My heart ached, and my eyes brimmed with tears. Even if I survived this match, it was unlikely that I would ever escape this place, much less see him again.

When we arrived at the arena, I slipped my armor on over my clothing in grim silence. I followed Val to my entrance gate, the dull roar of the crowd easily audible through the thick steel door.

"Remember, don't let them see you at all if it's at all possible." Val said as I was waiting to be announced. "Your chance is staying hidden well enough to outlast him."

I nodded, steeling myself, gripping my shortsword. The Grandmaster's voice boomed through the stadium, the crowd cheering at the top of their lungs.

"Everyone, give it up for the Green Dagger!" the Grandmaster said, and the crowd roared as his fighter was released into the arena.

"And competing for the first time in the arena," announced the Grandmaster, my gate slowly opening so I could walk into the arena, "The beautiful Miss Fortune!"

The crowd roared, their cries dying down when they couldn't see me step out. The arena was enormous, larger than any football field I had ever seen. I could see imprisoned fighters watching from grates in the sides of the arena wall, trying to find me. I kept walking forwards, towards the figure at the opposite end of the arena. I slowly drew my sword, keeping as quiet as possible to take my enemy by surprise. He had turned his back, looking behind him for any sign of me. His cape shielded his body from my view, and a small amount of black hair poked out from under a helmet on his head. I was almost within striking distance when he turned around, and I dropped my sword, my world freezing.

Loki stood before me, his knives held up defensively until he saw me. There was nothing but deafening silence from the crowd as Loki wrapped me up in his arms and held me as tightly as he could. He buried his face in my neck, his breath warm against my bare skin.

"I feared you dead." Loki said, his voice broken and breathy. "When you were thrown from the Bifrost, I hardly had time to think before I was thrown as well, and I-"

I cut him off with my lips, tears streaming as I held him close, weaving my fingers through his hair. I was so happy to see him again, to know that he was safe, to hold him close, that I forgot all about Sakaar for a blissful moment. My tears dried and I smiled, gasping a laugh at the sheer luck that I had. The Grandmaster was right, I was indeed fortunate.

My moment of heaven didn't last long, however, as another gate opened back up, releasing strange robots with electricity sparking off of their arms. The Grandmaster announced their entrance, covering for the "mistake" of announcing us as rivals, when he "Intended to say we were a team". The crowd roared, and I looked to Loki.

"I'll talk with you soon."

"I'll hold you to that." he replied, touching my face, his voice low and laden with emotion.

He picked up his daggers as I grabbed my shortsword, turning to face our enemies together as a united force. Loki multiplied himself, one projection for every robot. I vanished, running around to place myself behind the machines. We dispatched the mechanical adversaries, each of them falling easily beneath our blades.

I finished off what I thought was the last one, becoming visible once more with a heavy sigh. I heard Loki shout out my name, and I turned around, my chest met with a burst of electricity. I collapsed, twitching as I fell to the ground. My veins felt on fire, and I lost my vision in a blinding flash of white. My vision slowly returned, everything in slow motion.

Loki knelt over me, his hands running over my midriff, trying to find any sign of injury. It took me a moment to realize that he was using magic to repair the damage that the electricity had done in direct contact with my skin. He was trying to speak with me, but I couldn't hear anything save the ringing in my ears. I stared blankly at him, his expression panicked and fearful. He tried to tell me something, his eyes begging me to understand, before being grabbed and pulled away by guards. I was picked up, and carried out.

They dragged me past Val, her expression disapproving as she shook her head. Dropping me at her feet, the guards left us alone.

"I take it you know him?" she said, kneeling to help me up to my feet.

"I do," I said, wincing as I forced my legs to start working. "That's Loki."


	6. Chapter 6

"You never mentioned that your 'companion' was a prince of Asgard." Val said as we made our way down the hallway.

"It never came up." I responded, "To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever see him again."

"Well, he's turned up." Val said, setting me down on a chair. "What are you going to do about it? He's the Grandmaster's, so it's doubtful that he'll be able to walk free ever again. He probably has an obedience disc on."

"Obedience disc?"

"A little disc that attaches to the skin. It's like a shock collar for a dog." Val responded, showing me a small handheld controller. "When you press a button, it gives them a little mini electrocution until you press the 'Off' button."

"That sounds horrible." I said, thinking of the electrocution I had just been given.

"It's always tolerable." She said.. "No one ever dies, but it's definitely uncomfortable."

She placed the remote back into her pocket, stepping back from the bench.

"I sure hope that the Grandmaster is pleased with how that fight turned out. It was definitely not what he had planned to have you two make out the second you saw each other." Val groaned, her fingers pressing her nose. "It makes things incredibly difficult between me and the Grandmaster. I need to get working on finding another fighter for him." Val said, sighing. "If I don't give him a good one, and soon, he might end up taking you, regardless of our arrangement."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Loki said, appirating behind Val. She whipped around, a dagger going clean through the projection of his body.

"You really shouldn't do that." Val huffed, replacing her dagger. "Your stunt may have put you both in danger, and I can't keep her safe from everything the Grandmaster might do."

"Then it's good you won't have to." Loki said irritated. "Though you do have my innumerable thanks for keeping her safe thus far."

"Whatever." Val responded, turning around and walking away. "I'm going to find another fighter before my ass ends up in that ring."

"Are you alright?" Loki asked, kneeling in front of me as I sat.

"I think so." I said, wincing as I sat up straighter, "I'm definitely sore and tired though."

He nodded. "I only wish I could do more." he said. "The Grandmaster seemed to like the idea of me being able to make copies, and heal. He's giving me my 'freedom', on the stipulation that I remain and be nearby to help him in any time of need."

"That sounds an awful lot like slavery." I said, wincing as I stood up.

"If it's what I must do to remain safe, hidden, and keep you safe, it will be worth it in the end." he responded, "I may even be able to get you living quarters nearby."

"Having my own place does sound nice." I breathed, sore muscles screaming in protest as I hobbled down the hall, "Val's floor was getting a little uncomfortable."

"Then I'll see about that as soon as I can." He said, stepping out from a doorway in front of me. The illusion faded away, and Loki scooped me up into his arms, despite my feeble protests.

"What if you're seen?" I groaned, my midriff still filled with stabbing pain.

"You underestimate my negotiating abilities." he chuckled. I leaned against his shoulder, hearing his laugh rumbling in his chest. "The Grandmaster might be crazy, but he seems to be amiable if spoken to properly."

I relaxed silently, feeling safe in his arms as he brought me elsewhere in the building. I was nearly lulled to sleep by the gentle sway of his steps before he stopped outside of a doorway.

"If you want, you can come with me to speak to the Grandmaster, but I think it might be best for you to lay down and rest." He said softly, the door to his room opening.

I hummed and nodded my agreement, too tired for much else. He took me into the room, setting me down on what felt like the most comfortable bed in the world. I snuggled into the pillows, Loki pulling a sheet over me as I slowly lost consciousness. I was vaguely aware of his lips on my forehead before I slipped away into sleep.

I awoke to dim light pouring in a curtained window, my head laid on something firm and cool. My eyes adjusted to the light, and I saw that I was still in Loki's bed, cozy under the covers. I sat up slightly, my middle screaming in protest, causing me to settle back down. My head had been laying on Loki's chest as he slept on top of the covers, his face soft and relaxed in peaceful sleep. He had an arm wrapped loosely around me, his other hand resting on his chest near my own hand.

Heat crept into my cheeks, my pulse quickening at the close contact. I was alerted to Loki's awakening by his arm tightening around me, his thumb gently stroking my arm.

"Good morning, my little Valkyrie." He said, his voice deep and gravely from sleep. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well." I said, snuggling into his chest more, my heart still racing in my chest. "When did you get back?"

"Less than half an hour after I left." he responded, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "You were out cold when I arrived. That didn't seem to stop you from turning to hold me in your sleep, however." he smiled, squeezing me gently.

"What did the Grandmaster say?" I asked, hopeful.

"While there were no rooms available to you nearby," he said, "You're more than welcome to stay with me if you so desire. He seemed very insistent that I stay, and was more than willing to allow whoever I wanted to stay as a result."

"I'm glad that's settled." I said, rolling away from him to lay flat on my back. He shifted his arm down to hold my hand, his thumb gently stroking my hand. After a long pause, I added, "Now what do we do? How do we get back to Asgard?"

"I think it would be best to lay low here for a time." he answered, "I am sure that Thanos has found out that I am not dead, now that I am no longer in hiding on Asgard. If I stay hidden here, it increases my chances of survival in that respect." he said, "Not to mention the fact that the relationship that I have made with the Grandmaster is still very unstable, and angering him would mean both of our deaths."

"How long?" I whispered.

"I don't have that answer, love." he said quietly. "I just know it might be a while."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "What are we to do in the meantime?"

"I will be in the presence of the Grandmaster much of the time." Loki replied, sighing. "Appeasing him is the best option we have right now. If I can gain his trust, we will have better chances of slipping away with no problems. Rest assured, however," he added, rolling over to face me, propping himself up on his elbow while brushing my cheek with his other hand, "I will spend whatever time I have away from him, with you."

I blushed, looking down and covering his hand with my own. "Thank you, for everything."

"It is the least you deserve. You are brave, wise, cunning, and strong beyond what I had ever dreamed you would be when I first met you. You see me, understand me, push me to be better than what I have become in my time before I met you." He said sincerely, brushing my hair out of my face. "You continue to surprise me with your adaptability and your willingness to do whatever is asked of you to help others. You are selfless, loving, gentle, and truly beautiful. I can't begin to thank you enough for what you've done for me. I love you, (Y/N). There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you, if you only ever ask."


	7. Chapter 7

I lay in the bed, my mind a storming mix of emotions and thoughts, the heat in my cheeks only intensifying as the warm feeling in my stomach spread.

"I love you too, Loki." I whispered. "I only wish I had said so sooner."

Loki simply smiled at me, lightly placing his lips on mine. "No need to fret about the past." he said, sitting up. "Do you feel well enough to come along with me?"

I slowly sat up, doing my best to keep a straight face as my midriff voiced its protest. "I'm sore, but I'll be fine." I said, standing and stretching.

"Then come with me." He said, holding out a hand as he magically changed our clothing. "There are events I must attend, and I see no reason why you should not join me."

The next week was a blur of strange parties, awkward eye contact with the Grandmaster, and Loki's arms around me. Time seemed to work strangely, the week lasting what felt like months. Val would occasionally check in, and though she insisted it was just to say hello, I felt like it was to make sure that Loki wasn't doing anything devious. The Grandmaster seemed happy enough with the arrangement that he and Loki had reached, and didn't seem to mind my presence at most of the functions Loki attended. The Grandmaster even made sure to boast to me about his 'Champion', describing just how lucky I had been that I never had to face him in the ring.

I was having the best sleep I'd had since my arrival on Sakaar, Loki's presence calming me and making me feel safe for the first time in a while. During waking hours, he helped me hone my magical skill. Though I wasn't nearly the sorcerer he was, we both found enjoyment in teaching and learning new things.

It was at the end of the week, that I had another vision. I was surrounded by darkness, a small flame in Hela's hand my only light. She knelt down, driving the flame into the ground, causing a green flash outwards. Hundreds of dead soldiers rose from their resting places, and a massive wolf opened its eyes. My vision flashed white, the environment changing to Asgard in flames. A giant glowing lava monster stood, plunging his enormous sword into Asgard, destroying buildings in a lava flow of death.

I bolted upright, waking from my vision as I would a nightmare. Loki startled awake, his groggy face awash with concern.

"What happened, my love?" he asked, "Have you had a nightmare?"

I looked at him, tears streaming down my face, "Hela is raising an army." I breathed, "Asgard will burn."

"You had a vision?" he asked, his voice somber.

I nodded. "I saw Hela raising a dead army, and then it shifted to Asgard on fire, an enormous man made of lava plunging his sword into the palace."

"Surtur." Loki sighed. "Ragnarok still approaches. Which means that Thor is likely dead."

"Is there no possibility he was thrown from the Bifrost as well?" I asked, clinging on to the smallest bit of hope.

"I suppose there is, but it is a slim one." he responded.

"Well, you heard the Grandmaster," I replied, trying to turn the conversation to more lighthearted things, "I am miss fortunate!"

Loki smiled at me, drawing me into his arms as we lay down once more. "Yes you are, my brave little Valkyrie."

The next morning, we were attending yet another party that the Grandmaster was throwing. He stepped in, followed by someone in a floating chair. As the Grandmaster played music from his keyboard, speaking to the figure, I could finally see who it was.

"Loki!" Thor said, gesturing for us to come over, "(Y/N)!"

The Grandmaster focused on his keyboard, and Loki and I walked over, hoping to speak with Thor before the Grandmaster noticed.

"Shhh!" Loki said, glancing around nervously.

"What?" Thor whispered, confused.

"You're alive?" Loki asked, looking Thor up and down.

"Yes, of course I'm alive!" Thor responded.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, relieved to see him but worried to see him trapped in a chair.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?" Thor asked, "I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's your chairs?"

"We didn't get chairs." Loki responded.

"Well get me out of this one!" Thor said, beginning to raise his voice "Get me out!"

"I can't." Loki said, stressing to be quiet. "I've made friends with this man, he's called the Grandmaster."

"He's crazy!" Thor said, irritated.

"I've gained his favor." Loki said, "I've managed to keep myself and (Y/N) safe this long but you are not making it easy! He can't know that I know you! How did you get here, The Bifrost brought me and (Y/N) out here weeks ago!"

"Weeks ago?"

"Yes!" Loki responded quickly.

"I just got here!" Thor said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What are you whispering about?" the Grandmaster said, whispering himself. "Time works real different around these parts." the Grandmaster continued, "On any other world, I'd be, millions of years old. But here on Sakaar…" he trailed off, staring with a lopsided grin.

After a pause, the Grandmaster continued. "In any case, you know this… this… you call yourself Lord of Thunder?" he said, turning to Thor.

"God of Thunder." Thor clarified, turning to Loki. "Tell him!"

"I've never met this man in my life." Loki said, feigning a smile and laughing.

"He's my brother!" Thor said angrily.

"Adopted." Loki clarified to the Grandmaster.

"Is he any kind of a fighter?" The Grandmaster asked.

Loki paused for a second, his face masking his internal debate and calculation. Would he say no to try to help Thor escape? Or would that just get him killed?

"You take this thing out of my neck and I'll show you!" Thor threatened, laughing at the Grandmaster.

"Now, listen to that!" The Grandmaster said, smiling. "He's threatening me! Hey sparkles, here's the deal. If you want to get back to Ass-place… Ass-burg…"

"Asgard." Thor stated angrily.

"Any contender who defeats my Champion, their freedom they shall win." The Grandmaster said calmly.

"Fine." Thor said, "Then point me in the direction of whoever's ass I have to kick!"

"That's what I call contender!" The Grandmaster said, smiling. "The direction would be this way, Lord." he said, directing Thor's chair away with a remote.

"Loki!" Thor called out as the chair floated out the door.

"Well this complicates things." Loki said, walking back to the party with me.

"How come we didn't save him?" I whispered, "You two might have your problems but he's your brother!"

"How would I have saved him from there?" Loki asked. "The Grandmaster would have killed all of us. Better to give him what he wants for now, and help Thor escape later."

"I hope that Thor is able to defeat the Grandmaster's champion, whoever that is." I said, my stomach uneasy.

"He can, without a doubt." Loki said. "Hammer or no hammer, my brother packs a bigger punch than anyone here possibly could."

Later in the day, we returned to our room.

"You should go talk with your brother." I said, "At least explain to him why you didn't get him out of that chair. Why we couldn't stop him from having to fight."

"You're right…" Loki sighed. "But what good would it do? He still has to fight the Champion even if I go speak to him."

"He probably feels betrayed." I said, "And he's also still dwelling on Odin's passing, which he doubtless blames you for. Making amends might be the best idea right now."

Loki nodded, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"If you say so, my love." he whispered. "I will try."

Loki left, and I was alone in our room. I hadn't been there for ten minutes, when Val came to me.

"We need to talk." she said, "I think I found something important."

I nodded, writing a quick note for Loki to find when he returned. I followed Val out of the room, matching her hurried pace through the halls.

"What's going on?" I asked, "What have you found?"

"I found Thor." She said, continuing to walk towards her ship. "I had to give him to the Grandmaster, or risk you being taken. I couldn't do anything, but we have to stop him from fighting the Champion if we want him to live."

"What do we do?" I asked, sitting in her ship as she took off, "How are we going to stop this?"

"We're going to talk to him." Val said, "And tell him to go easy on Thor. He might listen to me."

We flew out towards the arena, landing not far from it. I followed Val through the building, up to a large apartment. My mouth dropped to the floor when I saw the room's occupant.

"Dr. Banner?"

"No Banner, only Hulk!" The Hulk yelled angrily, and Val turned, whispering angrily at me to be quiet.

"We just came here to talk, big guy." Val said, pushing me behind her.

"You remember Thor, right?" I asked, "You guys fought together back on earth?"

"You're going to be put in the ring with him tomorrow" Val added, "And he needs to survive the match. There's a lot of people who need him to live."

"Thor no like Hulk, only Banner!" the Hulk shouted, throwing something at the wall. "Hulk no hold back, Hulk will destroy!"

"Please…" Val said, ducking as Hulk threw another object.

"No!" Hulk yelled, "No go away! Leave Hulk!"

"I'm not leaving until you do what I ask." Val said indignantly, "You owe me!"

"Hulk not owe angry girl nothing!" Hulk shouted back, standing up.

"I'm the one who brought you here to this life that you like so much, so yes you do!" she shouted back, "Look! All I'm asking is for you to take it easy on him. You can still win, just don't kill him!"

There was a long pause, followed by the Hulk's heavy sigh. "Hulk will not kill."

"Thank you!" she said, sighing. "Was that really so hard?"

The hulk turned to put, and Val and I left the room.

"Now what?" I asked, "Do you think he'll keep his word?"

"I hope so." she said, "Now, we wait."


	8. Chapter 8

I stayed the night with Val, trying to figure out how we would keep the God of Thunder safe while still remaining unseen. No plan we could come up with seemed to be working, and we grew increasingly frustrated. When the dawn rose the next day, Val took me back to my room, only to find that Loki was no longer there.

He had turned over my note, writing that he had to attend the match that evening with the Grandmaster himself, and that I would have to stay with Val for the time being. I grabbed my short sword, tying the sheath securely to my belt just in case.

When night came, Val went to go get more drinks for the match. I sat anxiously in her ship, pacing and hoping that Thor would survive. When Val returned, we took off into the air, hovering above the ring to watch the match from a safe distance. Val and I sat on the edge of her cockpit, with Val popping the cap off of her first drink for the night.

A giant hologram of the Grandmaster appeared, his jubilance obvious. "Wow! Look at all of you!" His voice echoed through the arena, the crowd roaring in response. "What a show! What a night! Who's having fun?" The crowd cheered, waving flags and screaming their approval. "Please, I'm your host. Big round of applause for all of our undercard competitors, who today died so gruesomely. Good sports! What a show! What a night! This is what you've come for, and so have I." The Grandmaster continued, his hologram gesturing around. "And now, without further ado, it's main event time. Making his first appearance, though he looks quite promising, got a couple tricks up his sleeve. I'll say no more, see what you think. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you, Lord of Thunder!"

The crowd turned, their applause turning to shouts of disapproval, their booing echoing. Thor walked out onto the field, his long hair cut haphazardly and red paint in two stripes down his face.

"Watch out for his fingers, they make sparks." the Grandmaster added, "Ok, this is it. Let's get ready to welcome this guy. Here he comes."

At the Grandmaster's words, green smoke bombs blew up around the arena, covering the stadium in a green powdery haze.

"He is a creature. What can we say about him?" The Grandmaster continued, "Well, he's unique. There's none like him. I feel a special connection with him. He's undefeated. He's the reigning. He's the defending. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… your Incredible…" the Grandmaster trailed off as the Hulk burst into the arena, his armor clanking as he waved around a giant hammer and axe.

Thor stood staring at the Hulk for a moment, before shouting out in joy.

"YES!" he exclaimed, loud enough for even Val and I to hear. The crowd quieted, only to be re-energized by the Hulk grandstanding.

Thor pointed up to the Grandmaster's booth, the Hulk following his gaze. Looking back to Thor, the crowd began to chant Hulk's name, setting off more green chalk bombs. The Hulk stared at Thor for a moment, before charging at him, Thor narrowly dodging the green monster's giant hammer. Thor tried to parry the Hulk's blows, only to be thrown into a wall, creating a giant crater in the steel.

Thor slowly emerged, yanking the Hulk's hammer out of the wall with him, landing a nice blow on the Hulk's face. The hit sent the Hulk sliding against the wall of the arena, tearing up the siding as he went. Thor approached the Hulk slowly, reaching out and trying to talk. For a moment, it seemed as if the Hulk was going to stop fighting, reaching out to Thor's outstretched hand.

It was all a ruse, however, and the Hulk grabbed Thor by his feet, throwing him against the ground several times before tossing him across the arena. The Hulk ran over, trying to hit Thor with his axe, but missing narrowly as Thor smacked him across the face with the giant hammer. Things looked very good for Thor, until the Hulk grabbed the hammer, stopping Thor's blow dead in its tracks. With a swing of his arm, Hulk sent Thor sailing, jumping to meet Thor as he landed on his back. The Hulk landed blow after blow, Thor helpless to get up from the onslaught. I looked away, my heart falling through my shoes. I looked back just in time to see Thor's helm fall off, the Hulk continuing to mercilessly beat him into the ground. Suddenly, Thor's body was covered in electricity, his eyes glowing bright blue as he threw one single punch up towards the Hulk, hitting him with an enormous crack of lightning.

The Hulk flew back, landing feet away as Thor stood and reveled in his newfound power. The Hulk regained his footing, bracing for a fist fight. He and Thor ran at each other, leaping into the air with fists poised to punch. Thor landed his blow first, another massive lightning strike accompanying it. The impact was enough to send a wave outwards, the crowd beginning to chant in Thor's favor.

"Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!" the crowd roared, Thor approaching the slowly rising Hulk. Just before they met again, Thor stopped sparking, immediately dropping to the ground limp. The crowd made their dissatisfaction known, booing as loud as they could. Val sighed and rolled her eyes, moving to pilot her ship once more.

"What just happened?" I asked, "Why did he just drop like that?"

"The Grandmaster activated his obedience disc." she sighed, finishing off her bottle. "Can't have anyone beating his precious Champion, I guess."

"So now what do we do?" I said, running a hand through my hair.

"Now, I go back to my life." She said, "No use pretending that I would have done anything else anyway. I'll take you back to your room."

I laid down in bed, Loki still out with the Grandmaster. I was barely conscious when he walked in, silently making his way through the room as a shimmer of green light changed him into his sleeping clothes. He laid in the bed, moving over to place an arm over me, nuzzling his face into my neck.

"Sleep well, my love." he whispered, his voice all that I needed to be lulled into a deep sleep.

We didn't wake until well into the next day, deciding to lay low in our room as much as possible. It seemed Thor was fine, actually sharing a room with Dr. Banner as the Grandmaster's favorite fighters.

"How are we going to leave now?" I asked, "Thor has an obedience disc implanted, the Grandmaster has no intention of ever letting him go, and we're stuck here because we have no ship to leave with!"

"I'm still not entirely sure it's safe for us to leave yet." Loki answered, looking up from his book. "For all we know, Hela has already destroyed Asgard, or, Thanos is already on his way for me, and the Tesseract. I can't let him have that, especially with the energy still residing within you."

I sighed, reluctantly seeing his point of view. My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, trying to sort out how we could leave. I might be able to convince Val to leave with us, but her insistence on not leaving, not digging up her past, made the chances of that extremely small.

The next day, the outlook was not any brighter. I was about to leave to ask Val about her thoughts when Loki was summoned to meet the Grandmaster. I came along, though not even Loki knew about it this time. I kept invisible, following with the lightest footsteps I could muster, holding my sword against my side so that it would make no noise.

Loki and Val both came up to the Grandmaster, his expression solemn and vaguely angry.

"I'm upset!" Grandmaster called out, "I'm very upset. You know what I like about being upset? The blame. And right now, that's the mindset that I'm in. And you know who I'm blaming?"

"Grandmaster, I can-" Loki began, trying to appease the man in front of us.

"Hey! Don't interrupt me!" the Grandmaster insisted, his bodyguard handing him a long staff. "Why are you handing me the melt stick? He was interrupting, that's not a capital violation! Where was I? Oh.. My precious Champion has come up missing, and it's all because of that Lord of Thunder. It's all because of him. Your brother. Whatever the story is. Adopted, or complicated, or you know. I'm sure there's a big history." The Grandmaster said to Loki.

"And your Contender." he said, turning to point to Val.

"My dear friend," Loki said, "If you were to give me 12 hours, I could bring them both back to you alive."

"I could do it in two." Val countered.

"I could do it in one." Loki said, still trying to top Val's offer.

"Let's stop there." Grandmaster sighed. "You know what? I woke up this morning thinking about a public execution. But for now, I'll settle for this sweet little, 'Who's going to get him first?'. So.. uh… well, you're on the clock." He waved Loki and Val out, and I followed them as closely as I could without raising suspicion.

"What have you done?" Loki asked Val as we left the Grandmaster's room.

"I don't answer to you, Lackey." Val snapped.

Loki stopped, grabbing Val's wrist. "It's Loki." he corrected. "And you will answer to the Grandmaster."

Val broke out of Loki's grasp, countering every next grab he attempted to make, ending with a solid hit to the face.

Loki drew his blades, holding one up. "Why would you help my brother escape with that green fool, but not (Y/N), who you seem so fond of?"

"I don't help _anyone_." Val responded, her own knife drawn. "I do as I'm asked by the Grandmaster, and I keep my head down."

Val feigned an attack, and Loki reciprocated, their duel drawing no blood. Loki managed to hold her still for a moment, eying the tattoo on her forearm.

"You're a Valkyrie." Loki said, mouth agape. He disarmed the hand that he held, but it didn't stop Val from working her way around him, kicking him into a wall. "I thought the Valkyrie had all died gruesome deaths."

"Choose your next words wisely." Val said, holding him against the wall with her knee.

I approached, prepared to separate them if needed, not wishing this fight to get any more intense.

"I'm terribly sorry," Loki said, staring straight into Val's eyes as I came up, releasing my invisibility spell. "Must be a very painful memory." He added, raising a hand up to Val's forehead as I tried to grab his arm.

I was locked in place, my eyes seeing Hela in front of me as if I was there. Hundreds of dead warriors lay dead all around me, their pegasi laying with them in the mud. A single Valkyrie stood in front of me, blocking the Hela's final blade that had been meant for Val.

The vision lifted as Val was thrown back, and we all three stood gasping for air in the hallway. Val sat up, turning before I could stop her to kick Loki down.

"If (Y/N) didn't care about you, I'd kill you now." she said, settling instead to knock him out.

"And you!" she said, her breathing still heavy from the reliving of her memories. "Where did you come from? Did you see any of that?"

I nodded, "I saw all of it. I've been following you both this whole time."

"Help me get him to my room." She growled. "I have to go find that oaf and the Hulk."


	9. Chapter 9

We carried Loki up to Val's room, and I anxiously avoided talking to her. I opted to stay with Loki while she searched for Thor, but she insisted on keeping him tied to a chair in her absence.

"I am not having him escape on me." she said. "Make sure he doesn't leave. I'm done forgetting, if I'm going to die, it's going to be defeating Hela, murderous hag that she is."

She left in a huff, leaving me and an unconscious Loki sitting alone.

It seemed to take Loki forever to recover consciousness, groaning about his head hurting. I gave him a kiss, causing him to smile.

"I should have known you'd follow us." he said, "And while it was certainly reckless, I'm glad that you did. Where is she now? Can you let me out?"

"I can't help you, she took the key with her. She left to go find Thor and Hulk." I replied, "She's ready to go face Hela now. She said that she was done trying to forget what happened. I only hope that it's not too late."

"Hela is incredibly powerful." Loki said, "You saw what she did to Thor's hammer! I don't think it would be safe for you to go."

"Nothing in this universe is ever really safe." I replied. "But I have some skill, some ability to help. What kind of person would I be if I were to stand by and do nothing when I could be helping innocent people? Even if I lose my life, it would all be worth it to know that one child, one desperate mother, made it to safety because of that sacrifice."

The door opened behind me, Thor and Valkyrie walking in with Dr. Banner, who was no longer in Hulk form.

"Surprise." Loki said, watching the group come in.

Thor picked up a cup, throwing it at Loki. "Ow." Loki said as it bounced off of his head.

"Just had to be sure." Thor explained, following Val over to the other side of the room.

"Hello Bruce." Loki said, Dr. Banner looking both scared and uncomfortable as he followed Thor.

"So, last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody." Bruce said, "Where are you at these days?"

"It varies from moment to moment." Loki teased, smirking as Bruce's facial expression was washed with terror.

I punched Loki in the arm, "What was that for?"

"Just a little bit of fun." Loki whispered to me, "Since he can't hurt me right now."

"Is that a Dragonfang?" Thor asked Val, as she set a sword down on the table.

"It is." Val said, rolling her eyes at Bruce as he tore into fruit that was sitting on the table.

"My God." Thor said, drawing it out from its sheath to admire it. "This is the famed sword of the Valkyrie."

"So, Sakaar and Asgard are about as far apart as any two known systems." Val said, "Our best bet is a wormhole just outside of city limits. Refuel on Xandar, we can be back in Asgard in.. 18 months."

"Nope." Thor said, gesturing out the window. "We are going through the big one."

"The Devil's Anus?" Val scoffed.

"Anus?" Dr. Banner piped up, mouth full of food. "Wait, wait, wait, who's anus?"

"For the record, I didn't know it was called that when I picked it." Thor defended.

"That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen bridge." Banner said, pointing to the black swirling mass.

"We need another ship, that will tear mine to pieces." Val said, gesturing to the portal.

"She's right," Thor said, "We will need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity."

"And has an offline power steering system that could also function without the onboard computer." Bruce added.

"And we'll need one with cup holders, because we're going to die." Val said. "So, drinks!"

"Do I know you?" Bruce asked Val, "I feel like I know you."

"I feel like I know you too." Val laughed, "It's weird."

"What do you say?" Thor asked Banner, "Uncharted metagalactic travel through a votile cosmic gateway. Talk about an adventure."

"We need a ship." Banner said, bumping Thor's fist in agreement.

"Need a ship." Thor agreed.

"There are one or two ships." Val said, "Absolute top of the line models…"

"I don't mean to impose…" Loki interrupted, and I ducked as Val threw her empty bottle at the wall behind him. "But the Grandmaster has a great many ships. I may have even stolen the access codes to his security system."

"And suddenly you're overcome with the urge to do the right thing." Val retorted.

"I can't say it's the right thing. I've run out of favor with the Grandmaster." Loki said, "And in exchange for the codes and access to a ship, I'm asking for safe passage through the Anus."

"You're telling us that you can get us access into the garage without setting off any alarms?" Thor queried.

"Yes, brother." Loki replied confidently. "I can."

"Ok, can I just… a quick FYI." Bruce said, standing between Thor and Loki, "I was just talking to him a couple minutes ago and he was totally ready to kill us."

"I told you that was a stupid idea." I whispered to Loki.

"A punch does not equate telling me anything." he responded, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, me too, on many occasions." Thor said, continuing their conversation. "There was one time, when we were children, he transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes. So I went to go pick up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and was like, 'Yea! It's me!' and he stabbed me. We were eight at the time."

I looked over to Loki with an eyebrow raised, and he simply looked down, smiling and fighting back a snicker.

"If we're boosting a ship," Val said, rolling her eyes as she tried to reset the conversation back to the task at hand, "we're going to need to draw some guards away from the palace."

"Why not set the beast loose?" Loki suggested, looking to Bruce.

"Shut up." Thor said.

"You guys have a beast?" Val said excitedly.

"No, there's no beast." Thor clarified. "He's just being stupid. We are going to start a revolution."

"Revolution?" Bruce asked.

"I'll explain later." Thor said.

Val spoke with Thor quickly, and left with Bruce to go free the prisoner fighters from their holding place.

I left with Thor and Loki, heading to the main hangar where we would find the ships we needed. The trip was spent in silence, moving quickly and hiding in the shadows to avoid detection.

Loki stood at the door that would lead us to the garage, inputting the security code as the incapacitated guards lay on either side of the door.

"Hey, so, listen." Thor said to Loki, breaking the silence. "We should talk."

"I disagree." Loki said, opening the door. "Open communication was never our family's forte."

"You have no idea." Thor said, picking up one of the guard's weapons as we stepped through the open doorway. "Been quite the revelation since we last spoke." Thor held the weapon aloft, Loki mirroring his action. "Hello!"

"Hi." Loki stated as they both opened fire on the surprised guards. Walking forwards, we shielded ourselves against the wall, ceasing the attack for a moment.

"Odin brought us together." Loki said, "It's almost poetic that his death should split us apart."

We advanced again, Loki tossing me the weapon so that he could open the next doorway.

"Two sons of the crown, set adrift." Loki added, closing the door between us and the rest of the guards. Loki opened the next door, immediately raising his hands as a guard approached with weapon raised.

Thor dispatched the guard quickly, passing through the doorway. "Thought you didn't want to talk about it."

"Here's the thing," Loki countered, jogging to enter the elevator with Thor and I. "I'm probably better off staying here on Sakaar."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Thor said, to Loki and I's surprise.

"Did you just agree with me?" Loki asked in disbelief.

"Come on, this place is perfect for you." Thor said, "It's savage, chaotic, lawless…Brother, you're going to do great here."

"Do you truly think so little of me?" Loki asked, staring ahead.

"Loki, I thought the world of you." Thor said, "I thought we were going to fight side by side forever. But, at the end of the day, you're you, and I'm me. And I don't know, maybe there's still some good in you. You've changed greatly in that respect. But let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago."

It was as the regret and guilt washed over Loki's face that I realized what Thor was doing.

"Yea," Loki agreed quietly. "It's probably for the best that we never see each other again."

"It's what you always wanted." Thor said, patting Loki on the back.

Loki nodded, his lips pursed.

"Hey, let's do 'Get Help'" Thor said excitedly.

"What?"

"Get help!" Thor stressed.

"No." Loki said sternly.

"Come on, you love it!" Thor insisted.

"I hate it, actually." Loki said.

"It's great, it works every time." Thor said with a grin.

"It's humiliating." Loki corrected.

"Do you have a better plan?" Thor countered.

"No."

"We're doing it." Thor determined, smiling.

"We are not doing Get Help." Loki insisted.

As the elevator slowed to a stop, Thor grabbed Loki's arm and draped it over his shoulder. Loki groaned, rolling his eyes as he let his body go limp.

"Get help, please!" Thor yelled as the door opened, his sudden appearance startling the group of guards. "My brother, he's dying!"

"Get help!" I yelled, trying to follow along with the improvised plan.

"Help him!" Thor yelled, hauling Loki up and throwing him at the cluster of Guards, knocking them all out.

"Classic." Thor beamed as Loki stood up from the pile of guards.

"Still hate it." Loki said, straightening his collar. "It's humiliating."

"Not for me, it's not." Thor laughed. "Now, which one is the ship she told us to get?"

"The Commodore." Loki said, gesturing to a bright yellow ship.

I nodded, "I'll go scout ahead and make sure no one is there."

Thor nodded, and Loki held me quickly. "Promise to be careful." He whispered. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"I'll stay safe, as long as you promise to come for me." I said, kissing him.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else." He responded, holding my hand as I became invisible. I ran off ahead, climbing up to the Commodore's deck without interruption. Shortly after, Thor arrived, closing off the ship as he entered.

"Where's Loki?" I asked, looking around.

"He tried to alter the plan, mischievous man that he is." Thor said vaguely, "I talked to him, and he decided to stay for a while. He's bringing another ship. He won't be coming with us."

I nodded, looking down as Thor took the helm. Loki had promised me to come, but how was he to do that if he wasn't going to fly to Asgard with us?

"Alright, we can figure this out." Thor said, "It's just another spaceship."

We accelerated out of the hangar, weaving in and out of buildings on our way to the portal. It wasn't long before we were tailed by another ship, their lasers firing at us. Before I even had a chance to see if we had any offensive capability, Val's ship came flying in, destroying our attacker.

"Open the doors." Val's voice came from our speaker, and Thor pressed a few buttons on the console. Val flew below us, ejecting Dr. Banner up and into the ship. I ran back, pulling Bruce up from the edge, enemy laser fire hitting us once again.

"Shouldn't we be shooting back or something?" Bruce shouted as we scrambled up to the cockpit.

"Yes, we should." Thor agreed, searching the control panel. "Where are the guns on this ship?"

"There aren't any." Val said through the comm, "It's a leisure vessel. Grandmaster uses it for his good times, orgies and stuff."

"Did she just say the Grandmaster uses it for orgies?" Bruce asked, leaning on Thor's chair.

"Yes." Thor answered, disgusted. "Don't touch anything."

I searched around for something that we might use to combat the enemy, when Thor and Bruce both shouted out. I turned in time to see Val's ship exploding, her form flying towards our vessel.

She hit the cabin, holding on to the window ledge for dear life.

"Get inside!" Thor shouted at her, and Val looked back at the group of enemy ships that had surrounded us.

"In a minute!" she answered, climbing up to the top of our ship

"I should probably go and help." Thor said, standing. "Here, take the wheel!" Thor shoved Bruce down into the captain's chair.

"No, I don't know how to fly one of these!" Bruce protested.

"You're a scientist," Thor said, heading back to the open doors, "Use one of your PHD's!"

"None of them are for flying alien spaceships!" Bruce shouted back to Thor.

Thor jumped out of the ship, and I sat down next to Bruce, telling him what I had seen Thor doing to guide the ship. Thor and Val tore apart ship after ship behind us, each one blowing up as they finished it off.

"Ok, come on, there's got to be a gun on this thing." Bruce said, pushing buttons haphazardly. "That one looks like a gun!"

As he pressed the button, lights went off in the back of the ship, a song echoing over it's speakers. Fireworks shot out from the ship, surrounding us in multi-colored light. Thor and Val jumped into the ship, and I closed the doors as soon as they landed safely.

"Guys, we're coming up on the Devil's Anus!" Bruce called back, getting Thor and Val's attention.

Val took over the controls, speeding up as we approached the gaping portal.

"Here we go!" she said, smiling as she expertly dodged huge flying pieces of debris. Bruce and I sat down, bracing ourselves as the ship began to shake uncontrollably. "I've placed our heading in the computer for Asgard, here's to luck that we'll get through!"

The ship continued to shake, the light at the center of the portal increasing in brightness. With a flash of white hot light, we all lost consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Bruce was the first to awake, yelling as he looked out the cabin window. Asgard lay in front of us, in all of it's golden splendor.

"I'd never thought I'd be back here." Val said as we approached the city.

"I thought it'd be a lot nicer." Bruce said, standing up. "I mean, not that it's not nice. It's just, it's on fire."

"Here, up in the mountains." Val said, pointing to a readout on the control panel. "Heat signatures. People clustered together. She's coming for them."

"Ok, drop me off at the palace." Thor said, "I'll draw her away."

"And get yourself killed?" Val said, eyeing him.

"The people trapped down there are all that matters." Thor said. "While I'm dealing with Hela, I need all of you to help get everyone off of Asgard by Bifrost."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Bruce asked.

"I have a man on the ground." Thor said as we approached the palace.

We hovered for a moment, Thor placing a large machine gun inside the ship.

"Now, the ship has a gun." he said, pushing it into the ship with one last heft. "I found this in the armory." Thor added, handing Val a bundle of clothing. "Good luck."

"Your majesty," Val called out as we began to leave. "Don't die. You know what I mean."

We took off, Val changing into her new armor. I prepped the gun, fastening it to the deck of the ship as best I could. Flying out towards the Bifrost, we saw a large crowd of people running down the Bifrost, only stopping when they saw the enormous Wolf waiting at the other end.

The wolf began running towards the people, and they started to run back.

"Fenris." Val muttered under her breath. She opened fire, lasers hailing down on the Bifrost in front of the wolf.

The Asgardians continued their retreat, only to be stopped by Hela's undead army. Undead soldiers poured out of the Bifrost building, running up behind the wolf. The bullets continued to bounce harmlessly off of Fenris, the wolf choosing to continue his advance.

"This stupid dog won't die!" Val shouted above the whine of the ship's engines.

Bruce stepped towards Val, resolve in his eyes. "Everything's gonna be alright now, I've got this." he said, stepping towards the open door. "You wanted to know who I am?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Val asked, staring at Banner.

"You'll see!" Bruce replied, leaping off of the ship to the Bifrost below.

I raced into the cockpit to steer the ship in Bruce's absence. "Val, I could use a little help!" I yelled back, "Those dead guys are starting to climb all over the ship and I'm losing control!"

Val and I struggled to keep the ship upright, narrowly avoiding hitting Asgardians as we slid to a halt on the Bifrost. I was thrown from the ship, fighting to stand despite my bruised body's protest. I drew my sword, running towards Hela's army as they fought with the Asgardians. Undead soldiers fell left and right beneath Asgardian blade, my own shortsword meeting its mark time after time.

I was taken off-guard by one, falling to the ground, my sword knocked from my grasp. Just as the soldier moved to strike me, he was blown away by a gun blast, a man made of rock stepping into my view.

"Hey, man." the stone figure said, "I'm Korg. We're gonna jump on that spaceship and get outta here. Wanna come?"

I looked over through the mist, a horned figure appearing as the engine noise grew louder.

"Your Savior is here!" Loki's voice echoed through the mist, his figure becoming clear as an enormous ship approached the Bifrost.

Asgardians crowded near the ship as Loki stepped onto the Bifrost. "Did you miss me?" He smiled, and I rolled my eyes at his dramatic flair. "Everyone, on that ship, now!"

Loki made his way through the crowd, approaching Heimdall and I as Korg and his friend combated the undead army.

"Welcome home." Heimdall said, "I saw you coming."

"Of course you did." Loki said, turning to face me. "I told you I'd come."

"I remember." I said, picking up my shortsword. "Let's do this."

We braced as the army approached, taking them down one by one as they tried to break past us. An overwhelmingly large bolt of lightning struck the palace, causing everyone on the Bifrost to look on in awe. I glanced up at Loki, who smiled fondly a the sight of his brother's power. The lightning arced towards the Bifrost, Thor sailing through the air to attack Hela's army. Thor cut through the enemy forces, his electrified body re-enforced with a strength that I had never seen before. Fireworks shot up from our ship, Val stepping out confidently to aid in our fight.

Loki and I fought back to back, dodging and guarding each other in perfect unison, protecting the Asgardians that were still fleeing onto the ship. I used my invisibility sparingly, as it drained my energy, and I did not wish to accidentally meet my end at a friendly blade's hand just because they couldn't see me. It did work to my advantage as I struck a ghoul down, saving Loki from an untimely end. I reappeared, helping Loki up from the ground as our newfound friends finished off the enemies that surrounded us.

"Marry me." Loki breathed, his eyes staring deep into mine.

"What?" I asked, just as breathy from our strenuous fight.

"Marry me, please." he asked again, picking his helm up from the ground. I turned to fight off another enemy, my mind flooded with a million thoughts as my cheeks flushed and my heart soared.

"Are you sure this is the best time for this?" I asked, yanking my sword out of a skeleton.

"Does it have any affect on your answer?" he shouted back above the noise, placing his helm back on his head.

"Of course not." I shouted back, dodging another attack.

"Well?" he insisted, rolling and snagging the enemy's leg with his helm's horns, stabbing them before gazing back at me.

"Of...of course I will!" I stuttered out, shoving a soldier off of my sword.

We continued to finish off the last of the soldiers, Val, Loki, Thor, and myself all working ourselves to be closer together. When the last of the enemy had been taken care of, Heimdall hurried off to guide the last of the Asgardians onto the waiting ship.

"You're late." Thor said, gasping for air from the fight that we had just finished.

"You're missing an eye." Loki replied.

"This isn't over." Val said, walking past all of us, bringing our attention to Hela, who was standing on the Bifrost.

"I think we should disband the Revengers." Thor sighed to Val.

"Hit her with a lightning blast." Loki said, gesturing to Hela.

"I just hit her with the biggest lightning blast in the history of lightning." Thor said, exasperated. "It did nothing."

Hela continued to approach, stalking slowly like a cat about to pounce.

"We just need to hold her off until everyone's on board." Val said, panting.

"It won't end there." Thor said. "The longer Hela's on Asgard, the more powerful she grows. She'll hunt us down. We need to stop her here and now."

"So what do we do?" Val asked.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm _not_ doing get help." Loki insisted.

Thor stared out to Hela, and then turned to look at the fleeing Asgardian people. "Asgard's not a place, it's a people." Thor said, turning to face us. "Loki, (Y/N) this was never about stopping was about causing Ragnarok. Surtur's crown, the vault. It's the only way."

"Bold move, brother." Loki said. "Even for me."

Loki turned to me, whispering quickly. "I'll be back, my brave Valkyrie." pressing his lips to mine before running off.

Val rolled her eyes, "He really should learn to be quieter when he whispers."

"Shall we?" Thor asked, gesturing to Hela.

"After you." Val responded.

Thor stepped forwards, his body igniting with a surge of electricity once more. He dealt blow after blow to Hela, switching off turns attacking her with Val. Loki soared overhead in the Grandmaster's ship, and I ran back to help Heimdall direct everyone into the ship.

"Go, go now!" Thor shouted, and Heimdall nodded, jumping into the ship with the last of the Asgardians. He reached his hand out, but I refused it, opting instead to stay and await Loki's return. The ship began to leave, but Hela simply smiled. She summoned enormous spikes from the ocean below, running them through the ship, preventing its escape. The last few remaining form Hela's army scrambled up the spikes, trying to gain entrance to the vessel.

They were thrown back from the door, and shortly after, Skurge leapt out, firing automatic rifles at the enemy. The ship broke free of the spikes, slowly turning and ascending. Hela dispatched him with a single blade, slowly approaching Val as I ran to help her to her feet.

"Hela!" Thor yelled, Hela turning to face him. "You want Asgard, it's yours."

"Whatever game you're playing, it won't work." She responded, walking towards him. "You can't defeat me."

"No, I know." Thor agreed, standing as the palace erupted into flame. "But he can." Thor gestured back, and the enormous lava monster from my vision erupted from the palace, brandishing his greatsword.

"No." Hela said as she stared, unaware of Val racing up behind her.

Val ran her sword through Hela's hert, Thor striking Hela with lightning to hold her as a chunk of the Bifrost bridge was destroyed, Hela falling with it.

"Tremble before me, Asgard." Surtur roared, swinging his sword through buildings. "I am your reckoning!"

"The people are safe." Val said, staring up at the ship. "That's all that matters."

"We are fulfilling the prophecy." Thor sighed.

"I hate this prophesy." Val responded.

"So do I, but we have no choice." Thor said. "Surtur destroys Asgard, he destroys Hela, so that our people may live. But we need to let him finish the job- otherwise…"

Thor was cut off by the Hulk soaring overhead, attempting to destroy Surtur with his bare fists.

"Hulk, stop you moron!" Thor yelled after the green beast. Surtur plucked the Hulk off as one would a flea, throwing him back to the Bifrost. "Hulk, for once in your life, don't smash!"

"Big monster!" Hulk whined.

"Let's go!" Val insisted.

"Fine!" Hulk conceded, running back towards us and the ship.

"What about Loki?" I asked, my eyes fearfully scanning the horizon for any sign of the God of Mischief, or the ship he had flown.

Before I could be answered, the Hulk scooped all of us up, leaping up into the ship. Heimdall closed the door as we all ran to the nearest window. I arrived just in time to see Surtur plunge his sword into the depths of the planet, the entire surface bathed in fire and smoke.

"The damage is not too bad." Korg said, "As long as the foundations are still strong, we can rebuild this place. It will become a haven for all peoples and aliens of the universe."

With one last push, Surtur's sword was completely submerged in the planet, and it exploded in a flash of white energy. My ears were filled with ringing as I desperately searched the planet's remains for any sign of Loki. Tears welled in my eyes when I found nothing, the planet snapped away in a second like it had never even existed in the first place.

Asgard was gone. Every building, every plant, my home, destroyed.

I walked slowly away from the window, searching for the closest empty room to hide in. I locked the door behind me, wishing no one to see me as I sobbed. My second home, Thor's home, had been destroyed, with no hope of it ever returning. Loki had been killed in the fallout, and I wished to have him back, if only just long enough to tell him that I loved him once more. The dull, heavy pain that was spreading in my chest was unbearable. I had seen him die once before, right in front of me, but this time was much more real, so much more final.

I sank down into a chair, burying my face in my arms as I leaned onto the bed. Something hit the top of the ship, but I paid it no mind, knowing that it was just a piece of debris from the planet's destruction. Tears continued to roll down my face, my sobs ragged and unceasing.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, my little Valkyrie."

I gasped, whirling around to see Loki standing there. He stepped towards me, arms outstretched for me to run into. I got up slowly, then quickly ran into his embrace, my tears now joyful.

"Let me wipe those tears." he said, his voice low. "You can't that easily be rid of me." He mumbled into my hair.

"Thank god." I whispered, clinging to him, almost unwilling to believe that he was really there. "I'm so sorry, you've lost everything! Your home, your mother your…"

"Not everything." he said, placing his finger on my lips. His hand cupped my face, his thumb wiping another tear from my cheek. He pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Does Thor know you're alright?" I asked, my tears slowly stopping and my breathing returning to normal.

"Yes. I came across his quarters first in my search for you." Loki said, taking my hand.

"I love you." I said. "Why did you wait so long to escape?"

"I couldn't let Asgard's destruction mean yours." he said softly, waving his hand. The Tesseract appeared, floating above his palm before he waved it away, vanishing as soon as it had appeared. "You must be exhausted, my love." he said, my clothing shimmering away, replaced with my sleeping clothing. "I've already sent projections to the bridge if Thor has need of us. Let's rest."

I nodded, walking to the bed as he changed his own clothes. Once under the covers, I snuggled into him.

"I never want you to forget, you're my joy, my love, my reason that I strive to be a better man." Loki breathed into my neck. "Even though Thor doesn't quite trust me again yet, though I am not safe from those that would hurt me, I don't care. I want you, I would rather be with you, than be safe."

"Am I really worth that much to you?"

"You are worth that to me, and so much more." he said, smiling. "I would not have asked you to be my wife otherwise."

"What now, my fiance?" I giggled, squirming as he tickled me under the sheets.

"Only what you want to do." Loki said, pressing himself against me. "I am yours."

"That's good," I breathed. I rolled over straddle him, wiggling my hips suggestively and feeling the heat rush in his body. "Because _I need_ _you_."


	12. Epilogue

The next morning, we followed Thor out to the main deck, gazing out at the stars. After congratulating Loki and I on our engagement, he chuckled.

"Loki, I never figured you the type to settle down." Thor said, beaming.

"I never did either." Loki said, looking at me, the love clearly written in his eyes. "But things change. I know I certainly have."

"You've grown, little brother." Thor said, "And I am proud of you for it."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?" Loki asked.

"Yes, of course!" Thor said, "The people of Earth love me. I'm very popular."

"Let me rephrase that." Loki added, "Do you really think it's a good idea to bring _me_ back to earth?"

"Probably not, to be honest." Thor conceded. "I wouldn't worry, brother. I feel like everything's gonna work out fine."

As Thor said those words, a ship ten times the size of our own appeared in front of us. It crept closer to our ship, its shadow swallowing us whole. Loki's face paled, his expression fearful and panicked, and he pulled me behind him.

"We need to run." he said, turning to Thor and I.

"Why, what's going on?" Thor said, following Loki as he backed away, still holding my hand.

" _ **Thanos has found me**_."


End file.
